NIKKE PROJECT MATIS Update Guide

PROJECT MATIS Update Overview

The PROJECT MATIS update went live after maintenance on July 23, 2026, and it is the centerpiece of NIKKE's summer content slate. The version introduces two new limited SSR units, a fully voiced story event set on the eve of the Third Surface Reclamation War, a permanent Boss Rush mode, and a stack of quality-of-life improvements. It is a content-dense patch that rewards both collectors and grinders.

Because this is a major drop, many players use the official Topuplist storefront or the NIKKE top-up page on Topuplist to top up diamonds in advance so they can secure the new units the moment banners open.

New SSR: Laplace Ultimate Hero

Laplace: Ultimate Hero is a Missilis Industry unit, an Attacker with the Wind code, wielding a rocket launcher. Her signature weapon is called Ultimate Hero Syndrome. Her burst strengthens herself and then unleashes a heavy multi-target strike, making her a self-sufficient damage dealer who can also support a burst rotation.

Her appeal is strongest for players who lack a reliable Wind Attacker. Wind coverage has been a recurring gap in many rosters, and Laplace fills it with a kit that scales well into both campaign and raid content. She is the headline unit of the patch and the one most pull plans are built around.

New SSR: Maxwell Ordinary Mechanic

Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic is also a Missilis Industry unit, but she is a Supporter with the Wind code, using a sniper rifle. Her signature weapon is My Heavenly Cutey. Her burst raises her own attack and then buffs the attack of the entire squad, making her a team-wide force multiplier.

Supporters are the backbone of sustained damage teams, and Maxwell's full-squad attack buff pairs naturally with burst-heavy attackers such as Modernia or Scarlet: Black Shadow. For players who already own their core attackers, Maxwell often delivers more account value than a second damage dealer.

Banners, Dates and Pull Priority

The two banners run on a staggered schedule:

Unit	Role / Code	Banner Window
Laplace: Ultimate Hero	Attacker / Wind	July 23 (post-maintenance) – August 12, 23:59
Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic	Supporter / Wind	July 30, 05:00 – August 20, 04:59

Pull priority depends entirely on your roster. If you are missing a Wind Attacker, Laplace comes first. If your attackers are already solid and you lack a team-wide buffer, Maxwell is the smarter long-term pick. Players chasing both should bank mileage, because mileage tickets convert into a guaranteed selection that removes the risk of a bad pity streak.

When the banners open, the official Topuplist site and the NIKKE top-up page on Topuplist are the two links players use to fund targeted pulls without waiting on the free gem drip.

The Voiced Story Event and STORY 2

The PROJECT MATIS story event is fully voiced and runs from July 23 to August 12. It is set in the period just before the Third Surface Reclamation War and includes scenes centered on Syuen reflecting on the past. STORY 2 unlocks on July 30, giving the event a second beat of content partway through the run.

Voiced events like this are a highlight for story-focused players. They typically come with a clear list of story missions, Jewel rewards for completion, and a themed shop where event currency buys upgrade materials and cosmetics.

Costumes and Reruns

The patch ships several costumes:

Laplace "Prototype Hero" — earned as the top reward of the Prototype Pass when fully leveled, and notably includes full voice.

Maxwell "Chief Researcher" — the August Mission Pass costume.

Dorothy "Nostalgia" — returns through a costume gacha (ten-pull box).

Costume passes and reruns are optional sinks, but the Prototype Pass in particular is efficient because it bundles progression with a voiced skin. Decide early whether the pass fits your goals before the window closes.

Solo Raid Museum and Full Burst Day

A major addition this patch is the Solo Raid Museum, a permanent Boss Rush mode with both a Challenge track and a No Limit endless mode. It gives solo players repeatable high-difficulty content and a steady reason to keep optimizing teams. The No Limit mode in particular is where veterans chase frame rewards and personal bests.

Complementing it, FULL BURST DAY runs August 1-3 and August 8-10, during which Interception and Simulation Room rewards are doubled. These windows are the best time to burn stamina and farm, so plan your energy around them.

The update also bundles player-friendly systems:

HERO DAYS, a 14-day login campaign with steady rewards.

New Favorite Items for Phantom, Sugar, Rosanna, and Flora, expanding collection bonuses.

Quality-of-life tweaks: audio settings for the TRACING THE STARS rhythm minigame, batch Social Point claiming, lobby organization, and quicker item use.

None of these are flashy, but together they reduce daily friction and make the game feel smoother to log into every day.

Is PROJECT MATIS Worth Your Gems?

If you are a returning or mid-game player, PROJECT MATIS is one of the stronger patches of 2026 because it delivers both a new Attacker and a new Supporter in the same Wind code, plus permanent endgame content. If your only goal is the upcoming Persona collab, you may choose to skip one banner — but missing a core role like Wind Attacker can hurt your account in the meantime.

For verified kit numbers and frame breakpoints, the community NIKKE wiki is the most reliable reference, while the official NIKKE site carries the patch notes and exact banner times.

Understanding the pity and mileage systems turns a confusing banner into a plan. NIKKE's recruitment uses a pity structure where a limited unit is guaranteed after a set number of pulls, and mileage tickets accumulate with every pull to fund a later guaranteed selection. For PROJECT MATIS, the practical move is to decide your target (Laplace, Maxwell, or both) and then pull only until you hit it, banking leftover mileage for a future rerun or the Persona collab.

A common mistake is pulling "a little" on both banners and ending up short on each. If your gem pool is limited, commit to one and treat the other as a future rerun target. Supporters like Maxwell rerun reliably, so skipping her now is rarely permanent.

F2P Path Through the Patch

Free-to-play players should lean on the patch's free systems. The 14-day HERO DAYS login, FULL BURST DAY farming windows, and event missions all convert time into materials and gems. Solo Raid Museum, being permanent, lets you grind upgrade materials at your own pace without a deadline. The combination means a patient F2P account can still walk away with meaningful progress from PROJECT MATIS even without securing both SSRs.

Comparison With Past Summer Units

Summer units in NIKKE have a track record of being both strong and collectible. What sets PROJECT MATIS apart is that it delivers an Attacker and a Supporter in the same code (Wind), so the patch improves both halves of a team at once. Earlier summer events often leaned on one headline unit plus reruns; this patch's dual-SSR structure makes it a higher-value stop on the 2026 calendar.

To fund your pulls the easy way, use the official Topuplist storefront or the NIKKE top-up page on Topuplist whenever a banner you actually want goes live.

Players who prefer to pre-load value can do so through the official Topuplist site or the NIKKE top-up page on Topuplist on their own schedule.

Daily Routine During the Patch

To extract full value from PROJECT MATIS, build a simple daily loop. Start with dailies for gems and materials, then spend stamina during FULL BURST DAY windows when Interception and Simulation Room rewards double. Slot the voiced story missions in early so you lock in the event currency and Jewel rewards before life gets busy. This routine turns a content-dense patch into steady, low-stress progress.

Maximizing the Prototype Pass

The Prototype Pass deserves a specific note because it bundles progression with a voiced Laplace costume. For players who intend to use Laplace long-term, the pass is efficient: it advances account goals while also delivering a cosmetic that will not return in the same form. Weigh the pass cost against the value of the voice-equipped skin and the materials, and decide early so you do not miss the level cutoff.

Element Coverage After the Patch

Both new units share the Wind code, which is a meaningful shift for many rosters. Players who previously borrowed Wind coverage or skipped it entirely now have a reason to invest. Wind-weak content becomes more manageable, and a Wind core can anchor multiple team shapes. This is one of the quieter but most durable benefits of the update.

Long View on the Roadmap

PROJECT MATIS sits in a busy 2026 calendar. The summer banners, the permanent Museum, and the convention presence all build toward the November anniversary and the Persona collab. Spending your gems thoughtfully now means you arrive at those moments with both a prepared account and a healthy gem pool. The patch is not an island; it is a step in a longer plan.

Event Currency Efficiency

Every PROJECT MATIS event shop has limited currency, so spend it where account growth is biggest. Upgrade materials almost always outrank cosmetics for a growing account. Clear the story early to unlock the bulk of the currency, then prioritize the items that improve your core units before buying anything optional.

Synergy Between the Two SSRs

Laplace and Maxwell share the Wind code and complement each other directly: she buffs the squad, he amplifies himself, and together they form a core that scales. Players who secure both get more than the sum of two units; they get a team identity that carries into later content. That synergy is the patch's quiet strength.

Preparing for What Comes Next

The roadmap after PROJECT MATIS includes the November anniversary and the Persona collab. The gems you do not spend here are the gems you bring to those moments. Treat the patch as one step in a longer plan, and the pull decisions become clearer.

Daily Routine During the Patch

Players who only log in for the banners miss most of the patch's value. The permanent Solo Raid Museum and the login campaign are the quiet winners, because they keep giving long after the limited units are home. Treating the patch as a calendar of small daily wins is the most reliable way to walk away stronger.

Maximizing the Prototype Pass

Passes like this reward commitment, not hesitation. If you are already doing the event dailies, the pass practically pays for itself in materials alone, with the costume as a bonus. Skipping it because you are unsure is often the more expensive choice in the long run.

Element Coverage After the Patch

Do not underestimate how much a single shared code improves flexibility. Two Wind units that complement each other let you build a coherent core instead of stitching mismatched elements together. That coherence shows up as faster clears and easier deep pushes.

Event Currency Efficiency

The mistake is reversing that order: buying a skin first and then lacking materials to upgrade the unit who wears it. Keep the long view, and the cosmetics become a reward for progress rather than a diversion from it.

Long View on the Roadmap

The players who enjoy NIKKE most are the ones who treat each update as a chapter, not a finale. PROJECT MATIS gives you units, systems, and story to absorb, and the wise move is to take what serves your account and bank the rest for the headline events still to come.

FAQ:

Q1: When does the PROJECT MATIS update go live?
After maintenance on July 23, 2026. The story event runs July 23 to August 12, with STORY 2 unlocking July 30.

Q2: Which new SSR should I pull first, Laplace or Maxwell?
If you lack a Wind Attacker, prioritize Laplace. If your attackers are set and you need a team-wide buffer, Maxwell is the better long-term value.

Q3: What is the Solo Raid Museum?
It is a permanent Boss Rush mode added in this patch, with a Challenge track and a No Limit endless mode for repeatable high-difficulty content.

Q4: When is FULL BURST DAY?
It runs August 1-3 and August 8-10, 2026, with doubled Interception and Simulation Room rewards.

Q5: Are the new costumes free?
Laplace's Prototype Hero comes from the Prototype Pass at full level (includes voice). Maxwell's Chief Researcher is the August Mission Pass. Dorothy's Nostalgia is a costume gacha rerun.

Q6: Where do I check exact banner end times and kit stats?
The official NIKKE site posts patch notes and timers; the community [NIKKE wiki](https://nikkNIKKE wikieorycrafting.